Samsung Galaxy Note 7 replacement program for PH: Everything you need to know

Not too long ago, Samsung issued a sweeping recall of the Galaxy Note 7 after reports of exploding batteries set fire to the internet. An internal investigation has since confirmed the reports and blamed faulty battery cells from Samsung subsidiary SDI. Shipments bound for China are reportedly safe for daily use, as they come with batteries outsourced to another supplier.

It is said that “one in every 42,000 units” could catch fire. Those odds appear to be in your favor, but in this case, being cautious is far better than being at the risk of harm and the potential lasting consequences of a dangerously defective phone.

If you’re among the early adopters of the premium phablet, and you got yours from a store in the Philippine islands, here’s what you need to know about the Galaxy Note 7 replacement process.

1. Samsung has previously announced it will be replacing all Galaxy Note 7 units bought from authorized online and offline retailers and carriers on or before September 7th, free of charge.

2. The replacement process will run from October 1st until the end of the year (December 31, 2016).

3. Those eligible must have purchased a unit from an authorized retailer (Lazada Philippines included) or from telecom company Globe Telecom or Smart Communications.

4. The process may vary depending on where you bought your phone from, but as a general rule, you should contact the store that sold you your Note 7 or visit one of its retail locations. You can get in touch with a Lazada Philippines customer-service representative by dialing (02) 795-8900.

5. If you can’t visit the store itself, you can head to the nearest authorized Samsung repair center instead. For a complete listing of service locations across the country, visit this official Samsung page.

6. Buyers who now reside in a different country should contact a service rep or visit a nearby Samsung repair center to get a replacement in hand, as opposed to shipping the phone back to the Philippines.

7. Heading to a store or repair center? Good. Here’s what you need to bring:

The Galaxy Note 7 unit, plus the box with everything inside it. Samsung says it will accept damaged hardware; it even went as far as to cite a phone with a cracked screen. And those freebies that came with your purchase? They are yours to keep. Consider it Samsung’s way of apologizing for the debacle.

A copy of the proof of purchase. Don’t worry if you lost the receipt; just go to the store where you got your phone from and have someone verify the purchase.

One government-issued ID, company ID, school ID, or residence ID.

8. Upon surrendering your Note 7, you’ll be given three options:

Wait for a new (and safe) Note 7 of the same color.

Exchange your Note 7 for a brand-new Galaxy S7 edge. The price difference will be refunded.

Get a full reimbursement in the form of cash or a check worth P39,990. The check will be delivered to your address within two weeks. Samsung will offer the reimbursement option beginning September 10th.

9. Those who opt for a Note 7 replacement via a Samsung service location can get a loaner unit for use in the interim. Loaners are subject to availability so act quick.

10. The warranty period of your new Samsung device (Note 7 or S7 edge) will be adjusted to reflect the date of replacement.

Okay, I’ve surrendered my possibly defective phone. What now?

You wait — what else is there to do? A Samsung representative will notify you when your new Note 7 is ready for pick-up.

Samsung has launched three new flagship phones: the Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, and Galaxy S10E. With three new models to choose from, it might be difficult to choose which Galaxy S10 is the one for you.

To help with this, we took the liberty to show you the differences between the three. Which of the Galaxy S10 models will be your GadgetMatch?

Display

Starting with the screen, the three Galaxy S10 models sport Super AMOLED displays in different sizes. The Galaxy S10E is the smallest among the bunch with a 5.8-inch display. It’s followed by the regular Galaxy S10 with its 6.1-inch display and, of course, the Galaxy S10+ with its large 6.4-inch panel.

It’s also worth noting that the Galaxy S10E has a completely flat display, while the other two Galaxy S10 variants have the curved panels we’ve come to expect from Samsung.

All three models don’t sport a notch, but they do have holes on the upper-right corner for their front cameras. The Galaxy S10E and Galaxy S10 have a perfectly rounded hole-punch camera, while Galaxy S10+ has a pill-shaped cutout since it has two front-facing cameras.

Performance

Despite the size differences of the phones, all models are powered by a flagship processor. Depending on where you are, the Galaxy S10 family will sport either a Snapdragon 855 or an Exynos 9820.

Memory and storage configuration will also vary depending on the region. The lowest possible memory available is 6GB and it can go as high 12GB. As for storage, it starts at 128GB and will reach up to 1TB. The 12GB+1TB combo will be exclusively available for the Galaxy S10+.

Another significant difference between the Galaxy S10 phones is battery capacity. The Galaxy S10E has a modest 3100mAh battery, the Galaxy S10 owns a pretty standard 3400mAh battery, and the Galaxy S10+, being the biggest of the three, comes with a huge 4100mAh battery.

All three variants support fast charging using wired or wireless chargers. They can also do reverse wireless charging (which Samsung calls Wireless PowerShare) to charge other devices using the Qi wireless standard.

Lastly, both the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ feature the new ultrasonic in-display fingerprint reader, which is definitely faster than any of the in-display fingerprint readers we’ve tried before. The Galaxy S10E has a more conventional side-mounted fingerprint reader that’s still accurate and fast, but not as advanced.

Cameras

The Galaxy S10 and the Galaxy S10+ are the first among the Galaxy S lineup to have triple rear cameras. The setup is composed of a main 12-megapixel Dual Pixel and Dual Aperture camera, a 16-megapixel ultra wide-angle, and a 12-megapixel telephoto with 2x optical zoom.

Since the Galaxy S10E is priced lower, it only has two of the three rear cameras of its more expensive siblings: the main Dual Pixel camera and the ultra wide-angle shooter.

The situation in the front is quite different, though. Both the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10E have a single selfie camera, while the Galaxy S10+ gets an extra depth sensor for a more precise bokeh effect or Live Focus.

Pricing and colors

The cheapest model is the Galaxy S10E which starts at US$ 750. The regular Galaxy S10 will set you back US$ 900, while the bigger Galaxy S10+ is priced at US$ 1,000.

All three models will come in Prism White, Prism Black, Prism Green, and Prism Blue. In addition, the Galaxy S10E will be available in Canary Yellow, as well. The Galaxy S10+ also has premium Ceramic Black and Ceramic White variants, but these are only available for the high-tier configurations.

Colors option may vary per region, so not all colors will be available in all markets.

Get to know more about the latest Galaxy S10 series by watching our hands-on video:

When you take its features apart like this, it makes it seem like what we have is yet another underwhelming phone with no new groundbreaking feature. But to look at the S10 that way does the phone an injustice. It’s one that needs to be taken as a whole, not a sum of its parts.